Paper fastener



Ap 1952 H. I. SHOENBERGER ETAL 2,595,108

PAPER FASTENER Filed March 31, 1950 INVENTORS HELEN I. SHOENBEEWER FHNNIE KSTEVEN-s'o/V B Y @wm H TTORN E Y Patented Apr. 29, 1952 PAPER FASTENER Helen I. Shoenberger and Fannie K. Stevenson, Warren, Ohio Application March 31, 1950, Serial No. 153,014

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to paper fasteners, more particularly to fasteners for loose-leaf material, and the principal object of our invention is to provide new and improved fasteners of this character.

Paper fasteners of the prior art have certain disadvantages, particularly when used to fasten a relatively large number of papers. For example, in binders containing a large number of reports, such as periodically issued reports con- Jj cerning tax decisions, legal decisions and the I like, it is quite frequently necessary to remove or replace certain pages, and if such pages are at the rear portion of the report, considerable time and patience is consumed in removing all of the preceding pages.

Our invention makes it possible to remove and/or add pages from either the front or rear portions of a binder and thus greatly simplifies the task of maintaining a binder in up-to-date order. Our invention also provides improved construction which greatly facilitates manufacture and use of paper fasteners of this character.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, there is shown, for purposes of illustration, an embodiment which our invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a separated perspective view of parts comprising the embodiment of our invention, certain parts being broken to better accommodate the view to the sheet,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged transverse sectional view taken through the embodiment, and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view corresponding generally to the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment herein shown to disclose the invention comprises an elongated base 10 having tongue means cooperable with a pair of similar compressor members II and I2 so that paper may be secured between opposite sides of the base In and respective compressor members I l and I2.

As herein disclosed the base 10 is provided with guide means which, in the present instance, are formed at opposite longitudinal margins of the base. In the event that the base I is formed as a sheet-metal stamping, the guide means may be formed by striking successive portions of each longitudinal margin upwardly and downwardly,

as viewed in the drawing and therein shown at 1,3 and I l. The portions l3 and M are disposed in respective aligned manner to provide spaced base.

2 guide means at each longitudinal margin of the base [0.

The base I0 may be formed with a central longitudinally extending rib 15 extending from the body of the base for stiffening purposes. It will be appreciated that the base l0 may be molded from suitable moldable material, instead of being formed as a stamping.

The base I0 is formed with at least two pairs of transversely extending slots 16 and I! for securement of respective tongue means 13 and 19. Each tongue means is formed of bendable sheet material, such as thin strip-steel or the like.

'With particular reference to Figure 3, it will be seen that the upper tongue means I8 has one terminal portion 20 extending through the slot l5 and bent to lie along the lower surface of the The tongue means I8 is further bent so that its body portion 2| lies flatwise along the upper surface of the base ID.

A slide means, in the form of a clip 22, is slidable along the guide means formed by the upwardly-struck portions I3, I3 at opposite marginal surfaces of the base 10, the clip 22 being movable over juxtaposed parts of the body portion 2! and the base I0 to provide a variablepositioned bending guide about which the body portion 2| may be bent so as to form an upwardly extending tongue 23.

The lower tongue means 19 has one terminal portion 24 extending through the slot l1 and 'bent to lie along the upper surface of the base.

,- formed by the downwardly-struck portions I4, I4 I at opposite marginal surfaces of the base ID, the

" clip 26 being movable over juxtaposed parts of variable-positioned bending guide about which thebody portion 25 may be bent so as to form a downwardly extending tongue 21.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the pairs of tongue means 18 and I9, as shown in Figure 1, may be bent so that the respective angularly extending tongues 23 and 2'! may be positioned at any desired location with respect to the extent of the base H). In this manner, the tongues of the paper fastener may be easily and readily adjusted to correspond to the spacing of apertures in loose-leaf material. As best seen in Figure 2, the guide means formed by the portions l3 and :4 also provide inwardly facing surfaces 30 which maintain respective body portions 2| and 25 of tongue means it and [9 in alignment with the base [0.

In operation, the tongue means 58 and [9 are formed so that the tongues 23 and 27 are spaced apart to correspond to the spacing of apertures in loose-leaf material. Such material may then be assembled on corresponding tongues to be disposed against both sides of the base. Corresponding compressor members may then be assembled to hold the material to the base. As here shown, each compressor member is formed with spaced-apart transversely extending slots 3|, the spacing preferably corresponding to standard spacing of apertures in loose-leaf material.

As in customary practice, the tongues 23 and 21 will be of sufiicient length so that extremities thereof Will extend beyond a predetermined thickness of loose-leaf material and such extremities are passed through corresponding slots SI and bent over the outwardly directed surface of respective compressor members H and 2 to thus clamp the loose-leaf material between the compressor members and respective sides of the base It.

Clips 32 may be slidably mounted on the compressor members H and i2 to overlie the bent extremities of the tongues and guard not only against unintentional disassembly but also against damage which may be caused by the,

tongue extremities. Each of the compressor members I! and 12 may be formed with longitudinally extending stiffening ribs 33, and each member may also be formed with end projections 34 to prevent displacement of the clips 32.

In the event it is necessary to replace any portion of the material bound in the paper fastener, it will be appreciated that removal of material may be accomplished from either side of the base and thus it is unnecessary to remove substantially all the bound material when, for example, a page at the rear portion of the binder is to be replaced.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have accomplished at least the principal object of our invention, and it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment herein described may be variously changed and modified, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that the invention is capable of uses and has advantages not herein specifically described; hence it will be appreciated that the herein disclosed embodiment is illustrative only, and that our invention is not limited thereto.

We claim:

1. A paper fastener, comprising: a base hav ing oppositely directed guideways extending laterally therefrom; tongue means for each side of said base, each tongue means being formed of bendale sheet material and having one end connected to said base and a body portion adapted to be disposed fiatwise along a respective side of said base; and slide means for each of said guideways, each slide means being slidable over the juxtaposed portions of said base and respective tongue means and movable to various positions therealong to provide a variable-positioned bending guide about which said body portion may be bent to form a laterally extending tongue.

2. A paper fastener, comprising: an elongated base, each of the longitudinal marginal portions of said base being formed with a series of fingers alternately formed in opposite directions to provide a pair of guide means at each side margin of said base, each pair of guide means extending longitudinally of said base, in spaced relation with respect to each other, and in cooperable relation with a respective guide means at the opposite margin of said base; a pair of tongues formed of bendable sheet material, each for cooperation with a respective side of said base and comprising an end portion connected to said base and a body portion adapted to be disposed fiatwise along a respective surface of said base; and a pair of slide means, each cooperable with a respective side of said base and each having guide portions engageable with respective guide means at opposite margins of the respective side of said base and slidable over respective juxtaposed portions of said body portion and said base and movable to various positions therealong to provide a variable-positioned bending guide about which said body portion may be bent to form tongue parts extending laterally from respective surfaces of said base.

HELEN I. SHOENBERGER. FANNIE K. STEVENSON.

(DES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,156,179 Rittenhouse Oct. 12, 1915 1,337,598 Grant Apr. 20, 1920 1,962,726 Snyder June 12, 1934 1,962,727 Snyder Nov. 27, 1934 

